The shortage of infant formula is hurting Australian families.
Imagine this: You haven’t really slept for the last six weeks. You and your partner work in shifts. One of you grabs an hour or two of shut-eye while the other looks after your new baby. And despite the crushing exhaustion you love this little being more than anything else in the world. This little being who is seemingly hungry around the clock.
Now imagine not being able to feed that child.
This is the threat that hangs over thousands of Australian parents as the country deals with another mammoth shortage of infant formula.
Bellamys, Karicare and A2 have all put customers on alert. They simply can’t keep up with the sudden increase in demand for their product.
The lack of availability is being blamed, largely on the Chinese grey market. Those keen to make a quick buck are bulk buying baby formula and either shipping it overseas or selling online for 3 or 4 times the retail price.
It’s left mums and dads here stressed out and worried about providing food for their kids with desperate parents driving for miles to try and find the brand their babies need.
The situation could be easily resolved, with a little compassion and common sense.
Coles and Woolies have already imposed limits on the number of tins customers can buy.
But these restrictions don’t go far enough and as this photo doing the rounds on social media shows, they’re not being enforced.
The big chains do have the power to make sure restrictions are imposed countrywide, and a two tin limit would go a long way to ensuring kids don’t have their diet disrupted. Or they could place formula in the same bracket as cigarettes and alcohol, and ask shoppers to produce ID before selling it.
While some might find it frustrating, watching a mum with a hungry baby breaking down in tears at the checkout would surely change their minds.
For those stocking up and selling on, you need to take a good long hard look at yourselves.
Perhaps you think formula is fair game, and if you’re there to strip the palette bare as soon as it hits the supermarket floor, too bad. Parents should get there sooner if they want to snap up the precious brands. But you’re not operating on three hours sleep. If you don’t succeed you miss out on a few dollars, they are left with a child they can’t feed.
Or maybe you believe nobody’s getting hurt, because there are lots of other brands left on the shelves.
Watch The Project’s report on the ‘formula wars’. Post continues below.
But young babies have very delicate digestive systems.
Swapping formulas can leave babies vomiting, constipated or fighting infection.
And specific formulas for those kids who suffer from allergies are among those vanishing from the shelves.
How would you feel if a child had an adverse reaction to a new mix and ended up in hospital because you’d bought up the only product they could safely eat?
Parents can’t just swap and those who’ve been forced to are often left with very sick children.
When you bulk buy and sell for profit you are taking food out of a child’s mouth.
It’s literally stealing from a baby.
How do you think the formula crisis should be handled?
Top Comments
Clearly people who comment ignorantly about "just change brands of formula it's not the end of the world etc" either don't have children or have not had to deal with watching their baby writhing in pain due to digestive issues or watch them projectile vomit from changing formulas and have to spend hours trying to settle them only to have to do it all again at their next feed time! Some people go through several different formulas (and a lot of expense) until they find one that agrees with their baby. Imagine we were talking about something that you needed that was vital for you such as a medication, and you can only take that specific brand as you are allergic/sensitive to most other alternatives. Now put yourself in the position where you can not get hold of that medication anywhere despite your best efforts and you know that if you "just change types" it will make you feel like crap and unwell....would you not be a little pissed off at the situation?! Especially if you knew that the reason you couldn't get that medication was because it was being sent overseas instead! Stop being such an opinionated judge mental arsehole for 5 minutes would you cause if it was something that impacted your life you'd be singing a different tune! I feel for the Chinese mothers who just want to provide safe food for their children I really do but as a mother I can't help but be angry at the same time as this means that I can't then provide food for my child either! So how is it fair to any one at this point? You're screwed either way!
Buying the formula and shipping it overseas to friends and family is NOT the 'grey market'. That is 100% legal and 100% ethical.
I agree with the poster below - the shortage is not being caused by the 'grey' Chinese market. It is a flow on effect from the shortage IN CHINA because of the lower standards of food safety. If I was a mum or dad in China you can bet I would be getting my Australian friends and family to send it over to me, and I would not feel bad about that one bit.
I agree that buying up bulk to on sell is appalling, but I do not blame those buying nor those shipping at no extra cost.
Legal, hardly ethical OR moral. Particularly if profiteering. Why should local babies suffer because China has lax food production standards, they should sort their sh*t out!